This Means War
by MaximumAlchemist
Summary: "Love is a forbidden battle - one that cannot be won. There is force, and force only."
1. Prologue

_It's cold, _I thought as snow drifted silently throughout the night. The faint sound of bells and people singing carols faintly reach my ears. I breathed on my hands and rubbed them together, hoping to make some friction and get some warmth circulating through my numb fingers.

_Three months since I've last seen you. I miss you, _I thought. It was Christmas Eve, and everyone was down at the town square, singing cheerfully, holding hands and smiling. I stood under a dim street lamp, listening quietly to the sounds and voices echoing off of the now empty streets. I closed my eyes and let myself sink into happier memories.

_ "Riley! Riley! Wake up! Merry Christmas!" a voice bounced to my ears and a pair of warm and rough hands grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me. _

_ "Hm? Wha-wha day is it?" I yawned hugely and sat up. _

_ "It's our birthday! Christmas!" Rin grinned at me. _

_I rolled my eyes. "For your information, our birthday is December 27, not 25," I said as I sat up and stretched. _

_ Rin pouted and said, "Aw, come on. You're so demanding for accuracy. Can't you lay off something just a little off for once?" _

_I snorted. "Am not. I'm just reminding you the correct date. Of course, your brain is too filled of useless things to know," I teased. _

_ Rin stuck his tongue out me. "Yeah, whatever. I bought something special for the occasion." He handed me something wrapped in brown paper._

_I unwrapped the package slowly. Inside were half a dozen of fresh cookies, coated with sugar frosting with the perfect amount of sprinkles, all shaped like Christmas trees and gingerbread men. _

_ "Rin? Where did you get this?" I asked slowly. We didn't have money to buy even bread crumbs, much less holiday cookies. _

"_Oh, you know…" Rin's voice trailed off, leaving only a sly grin on his face. "For you."_

_ I blushed. Rin went all the way into town, just to get these delicasies. _

"_Happy birthday," he said._

_I smiled at him. "Yeah. You too."  
_

I felt a lump in my throat. Those memories…I felt if I thought about them, it'd cheer and warm me up. Instead, I felt empty and hallow, like a piece of my heart were missing.

Tears pricked at my eyes. _I won't cry, I won't cry, I won't cry, _I chanted in my head. It seems that I was too late. Something wet and hot leaked from my eyes and rolled down my cheeks, steaming against the cold night air. I looked up at the heavens and sniffled. _He _was _always _with me, no matter what. Now he was gone.

My legs seemed to have a mind of their own. They started to move. They picked up speed, and soon I was running to nowhere in particular. I kept my head down, for I didn't want anyone to see the rivers that were flowing down steadily and didn't show any signs in stopping.

_I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, _I thought. _It's my fault that you're gone. It's all my fault. It's all my fault that you died, Rin. _

I kept looking down, not watching where I was going, and bumped into a young man and fell backwards onto the icy hard pavement. I looked up, blinking the tears out of my eyes.

The guy looked very young, in fact, about my age. His long honey-brown hair was kept into a neat ponytail; bangs brushed aside, revealing two large gray-brown optics looking at me.

I could feel my cheeks heating up. I lowered my head. "S-sorry," I murmured.

He looked at me and smiled. "It's okay," he said gently. His voice was gentle and soft—like a child's. I raised my eyes to look at him. There was an expression on his face had the concern written all over it. And a hint of pity. Well, it I couldn't blame him, as I was dressed in three-year old clothing, face scraped and bruised from gang fights, fending off bullies that saw me as a weak helpless little girl.

Just when I least expected it, the young man reached out, offering me a hand. His face was adorned by a smile—not a crazy grin like the rapists on the street, (NOT a good experience, thank you very much—don't worry, they didn't harm me though) but a warm, real human being smile. But I learned, from living on the streets, that you couldn't trust everyone you see. Especially one that offers you his hand and smiles at you.

I eyed the hand warily. My mind was reeling with the possibilities of what would happen if I made the simple gesture of taking his hand. It ranged from taking-me-to-some-weird-place-I've-never-even-heard-of to I'm-going-to-take-you-to-a-bar-and-let-you-get-drunk-so-I-can-get-you-in-my-bed to imma-rape-you-right-here-and-now.

I took the hand.

Now, let me tell you, I've never felt anything more wonderful than a warm gloved hand on a freezing winter day.

He pulled me up and onto my feet. I found myself still clutching onto his hand. I had never felt anything so warm, so comfortable, and so reassuring in such a long time…or so it has seemed. Not since…before Rin died. I felt the tears welling up in my eyes again, but I quickly wiped them away. Unfortunately, the young man caught me doing so.

"Is something the matter?" he asked.

"N-nothing. It's fine. Just got something in my eye," I said hastily. I know, I know. Lamest excuse EVER.

To my surprise, he closed his fingers around mine. My heart fluttered. Was…was this love…? _No, it's not. It's just affection. Friendly-at-first-meeting affection. No biggie, _I thought.

"Name's Alphonse Elric. Pleasure to meet you."

I paused. I shouldn't give my name to someone I didn't know. But this was an exception. Al, he seemed to calm me down.

My heart relaxed.

"Riley. Riley Midnight is my name."


	2. Acceptance and Memories

**I'm baaaaaaaaack! So, yeah, sorry I didn't do this before on the previous chapter, but here it is! And thank you soooo much to my very first reviewer, QueenOfEpic! **

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist. And since I don't, maybe I'll go angst in a corner now. **

**Ed: Why do you have to disclaim? Like, everyone knows I'm created by Hiromu Arakawa. **

**Me: Because, my dear little friend -pats head reassuringly- we don't want people yelling the poor authors who are innocent and accidentally forgot to disclaim. Which, BTW, you'll do the disclaimer in the next chapter. **

**Ed: -twitches eyebrows-**

**ON WITH THE STORY!**

Previously…

"_Riley. Riley Midnight is my name."_

Alphonse looked at me. His eyes were warm, like an older brother's.

Like Rin's.

Tears pushed against my eyes, but I forced them down.

"How would you like a place to stay? I'll take you in." Those words startled me.

I looked up, opening my mouth to say 'no', when my stomach beat me to the answer. It howled. Loudly. I swear, if the world cracked open right now, I would take the opportunity and jump into the fissure and never be seen again.

Unfortunately, it didn't happen.

I reddened and turned away. Alphonse laughed, and tugged at my grimy, scraped-up hands.

"I'll take that as a yes."

On the way, my mind was reeling with memories of my life. The experiment, the escape, the battles, and of course, Rin's death.

"_Rin! Rin! RIN!" I screamed desperately, kicking and clawing at the beasts. My arms were pinned behind my back, my nose bloody and one broken rib. I was crying profusely, watching Rin, the poor sweet idiot, who had sacrificed himself to protect me. _

_The mutated wolf brought his fist down into Rin's back, and I heard a crunch. He was broken all over. _

_Rin dropped on the ground and was still, showing no signs of movement. _

"_RIN! NO!" I cried, wrenching free from the firm grip on my arms. I ran up to him, placing my hand over his heart. There was a faint pulse, beating fragilely under my bloodstained palms. _

"_Riley…" _

"_Come on, Rin! You can't die here! I won't allow it!"_

"_Riley…please...run away…"_

"_NO! STAND UP! DAMMIT! RIN, GET UP!"_

"_Go forward…and remember…I love you…"_

_He smiled his last smile, then fell limp in my hands._

_Rin was dead. _

_I sobbed, holding the broken form of my best and only friend. I didn't care that I was about to get killed. All I cared about was that the only person that I had for a family was dead._

_I heard a snickering sound, and it grew louder. Pretty soon, the entire pack was barking and howling with laughter, snorting that disgusting way of theirs and rolling on the forest ground._

_Anger replaced my shock and grief. I stood, out for blood. Eraser blood. I launched myself on them, newfound energy coursing through my blood. I extended my wings and launched myself on the pack, my fists curled. _

_I landed a blow on the nearest one, rattling his skull so much that his eyes vibrated when he crumpled to the dirt._

_But I wasn't done. I continued to hit, muttering with every smack._

"_It's…funny…huh…what…about…if…one…of…you…freaks…died…would…you…laugh…now…huh?"_

_I raised my fist. "GO…ROT…IN…HELL…YOU…SCUM!" I screamed, finishing him off. _

_I stood, tears rolling down my face. "WHO'S NEXT?" I bellowed towards the crowd, which was now shrinking back. _

_One tall Eraser barked, "Retreat! Emergency retreat!" _

_One by one, the Erasers fell back, until there was no more. Someone had taken the Eraser that I had pounded to death, but I didn't care. I sank to ground and cried myself to sleep, thinking that when I woke up, it was a dream and Rin was still with me. _

**So there ya go! Chappie two is up! I know, cheesy of me to end the chapter at the end of a flashback, but hey! I'm actually proud of this chapter! **

**Ed: Hmm…a four out of ten.**

**Me: WHAAAAAT? I'd say six out of ten! Meanie. -pouts- **

**Ed: Okay, fine. My final score is 4.0000000000000000000000000000 1. Live with it. **

**Me: -sighs- Okay, guys, remember to review, and don't forget, no flames! **

**Ed: Yeah. Flame, and you will regret it. **


	3. The Perfect Little Sister

**Me: HEEEEELLLLLOOOOOOO! I'm being awfully peachy today, so I decided to upload for chapters! **

**Ed: -grumbles- Don't mind her…she's being…ridiculous…why did I ever agree to this…?**

**Me: -glares- Well, too bad. You're part of the fanfic now, and there's no backing out of it! And some news…I've decided to change the rating from M to T, because I think this fanfic is better off as a series…so I won't throw in a 'citrus fruit'…yet. **

**Ed: Geez…**

**Me: -snaps- Your turn.**

**Ed: Fine. -turns to audience- MaximumAlchemist does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist, but she does own a chainsaw that will cut you in half if you flame. That's it for now, and remember: kids, be cool and stay in school. **

**Me: You're lame. **

**Ed: Shut up. **

**ON WITH THE STORY!**

Previously…

_I sank to ground and cried myself to sleep, thinking that when I woke up, it was a dream and Rin was still with me._

_End flashback_

I wiped a stray tear away from my face and looked at the snow-covered cement road ahead of us.

We had arrived at a modern six-story apartment at the end of Main Street_. Lights _shone in clumps from floor to floor, some people lounging on their balconies.

As we entered the building, I gazed around the lobby. It was fashionable in a way—antique and modern at the same time.

We stepped into an elevator with a few other people.

"Hello, Alphonse," a voice spoke behind us. We jumped and turned, facing an elderly lady with a little girl.

"Hiya, Arufons!" the little girl said joyously.

Alphonse knelt and patted the little girl. "Hello, Lily."

Lily grinned up at him, revealing a small black hole on the bottom row of teeth.

"Wook, Arufons! I wost my fwist twooth!" she said happily.

Al smiled and ruffled her hair. "That's great! Congratulations, Lily!"

Lily beamed widely at him. Al stood up and greeted the woman. "Hello, Mrs. Weatherby. How was your day?"

"Well, aren't you sweet to care?" She petted Alphonse's cheek affectionately. "Today was just peachy. How's Edward?" she asked.

Al shrugged. "The same. He's probably still working."

"At this hour? Oh, the poor dear."

"Don't worry, Mrs. Weatherby. He'll be home soon."

Mrs. Weatherby looked behind him and saw me. "Well, who's this young lady?"

Al stiffened. "Uh…how rude of me! Mrs. Weatherby, meet Riley Midnight. Riley, this is Mrs. Weatherby. She lives in room two hundred twenty-six on floor five.

I reached out, shaking the elder's hand. "It's a pleasure."

I felt something tug at my other sleeve. I looked down.

Lily was pulling at my sleeve. "Big sis! Big sis!" she said, looking up.

I knelt and patted her head. "Hey there, Lily. My name's Riley."

Her head bobbed up and down eagerly. "Wiley! Wiley!"

I laughed softly, smoothing her hair. She was the ideal little girl indeed.

Al checked his watch. "Well, time for us to go. Bye, Mrs. Weatherby." He knelt down next to me. "Bye, Lily."

Mrs. Weatherby nodded. "Come on, sweetie. Time to go."

Lily looked up with her great brown eyes. "Alweady?" she asked, looking reluctant. Mrs. Weatherby nodded.

Lily stood firmly. "No! I don't want to leave big sis and big bwotha!" she said defiantly.

Mrs. Weatherby shook her head. "Time to go, Lily. We'll see them tomorrow."

Lily's eyes lit up. "Tomorrow? Pwomise?"

Mrs. Weatherby looked at us. Her eyes asked us the same question.

Al and I laughed. "Yeah. We promise," Al said, smiling.

Lily bounded off towards her grandmother. She turned and waved. "Buh-bye, Wiley! Buh-bye Arufons!"

I smiled. She was the perfect little sister, even if we weren't blood-related.

**_R&R!_**


	4. Still Not Safe

**Oh mother of God, I haven't updated this story in a while. **

**Hello, everybody! This is your author, MaximumAlchemist, reporting for a new chappie! **

**Anywaaays…**

**ON WITH THE STORY! **

I gazed over my shoulders at the glowing city, the lights dimming and brightening, eclipsing in and out of my vision.

Just then, something dark and shadowy flicked pass, making me flinch as it passed by quickly at the speed of sound.

I swallowed.

_So I was still being followed. As always, I'm not safe—I don't belong anywhere. _

As if in response, there was a scream, and an explosion echoed so loudly that the floor beneath me vibrated as the elevator proceeded upwards.

Al turned, startled. "What was that?" he said, his palms clasped together.

More of the shadows swooped down, circling lower and lower onto the peace-corrupted city.

_I knew it. _

Without thinking, I threw a punch at the window. The glass shattered, and something warm and wet oozed out of my skin.

The clear shards rained down onto the streets, five stories below. The cold winter wind whistled into the small room of the elevator, blowing past the terrified passengers.

"Riley? What are you doing?"

I shot a glance over my shoulders. Al's slivery eyes were wide, his palms now sparking with purple electricity.

"Be right back."

And I stepped onto the ledge and launched myself out.

**Things just got serious. R&R! **


	5. Fight on Main Street

**I didn't like original format of this story, so I'm making it up as I go along. **

**ON WITH IT!**

Wind whistled past my ears, my whipping against my face as I pummeled downwards like a rock.

_Note to self: Get a haircut. _

Buildings sped in and out of my vision, my heart pounding against my rib cage.

_1…2…3…NOW!_

I snapped my wings apart, the feathers unfurling, letting them expand.

They caught the oncoming wind and slowed the fall.

I almost smiled. It was bliss.

Not for long.

There was bloodcurdling howl behind me, and six shadows were coming in close.

_Fifty yards…forty yards…thirty yards…_

Sure enough, they were nastiest, dirty, meanest, drooling…mutts, traveling at seventy miles per hour, hungrily chasing a poor, defenseless, weak, and winged-kid.

Ah, who am I kidding?

I skidded to a halt, then shot upwards. The Erasers skidded, their claws scratching the pavement, like fingernails on chalkboard.

One desperate wolf lunged at me, but with a slight flick of my powerful wingspan, I was six feet above his line of reach. I almost pitied him as gravity claimed him back.

Six indignant howls pierced my ears, and I laughed, oblivious to all the gaping spectators gazing up at me.

I faltered as I felt something glowering at me from behind me.

And I was right.

Silver caught me by surprise, and my left shoulder exploded in pain.

Six gleeful cheers greeted me as I tumbled down, and at the last second I regained my balance, landing gently on the balls of my feet before springing back up into the night air like a ballistic missile.

I met face-to-face with a masked creature with a midnight-black wingspan, fifteen feet across.

Oh. Another Eraser.

But not just _any _Eraser.

Eraser: Version 6.

I grounded my teeth and balled my fists, ignoring the stabbing daggers of pain digging into my left shoulder, fuming at myself for letting my guard down for a mere second. I should be used to the circumstances I was living in right now. I didn't have a choice, but accept the fact that I was mutated freak and fend off for myself.

…There _was _another option, but it seemed out of question until I've at _least _tried to find a safe and good life.

The cheering had died down below me, now replaced with angry and frustrated moans.

The enhanced version of the Erasers held up his hand to shush them, and they reluctantly obliged.

There was staring contest—deathly quiet and with strained eyes—me and him.

He moved.

Lightning-fast, he struck. If I had been a nanosecond slower, I would've been Kibbles 'n' Eraser Bits.

He spun around, and I a crack between the mask, revealing his electric-blue eyes that made my heart pulse faster all of a sudden, a yearning for someone lost.

And it was weird. Erasers had blood-red eyes, hungry and filled with hate. This one, had the eyes of a wounded, dear and upset.

Was he…?

Too late.

He leaped at me, and I didn't move. He slammed into me with such force that I would've been killed if I was a normal person.

We shot towards the ground, his claws right above my face, his hands tightened around my neck.

I gripped his wrist, but I couldn't restrain him.

His claws grazed my cheek, and blood sprayed out in drops of crystal-clear red, my cheek stinging against the cold night air speeding by.

I struggled helplessly, clawing and biting at him, but he was unfazed.

Yet, he was trembling as the earth grew bigger and clearer as we descended at impossible speeds.

I took one quick look at the ground. _Well, that's that. _

He made a swift motion, now I was on top and he was below me.

I was too stunned to react, and he slipped from my grasp and shot away, and six others followed in pursuit.

I reacted, spreading my wings and tumbled gently onto the ground.

Then I blacked out.


	6. Memories

"Hey."

A figure dimmed in and out of my vision. I caught glimpses of his face—lean and narrow. I couldn't make out details—his hair, blonde, I guess. It was hard to tell with my spinning head.

Groaning, I propped myself up with my elbows, and a sharp pang of pain shot through my head. "Ow, ow, ow!" I muttered, rubbing the spot furiously.

"Here, don't strain yourself," the boy said and pressed me back down on the couch I was residing on. "You've got a nasty bruise on the back of your head—I tried cleaning the wound, but it's hidden in your hair."

He held a glass of clear liquid up to me. "Drink this, it might relieve the dizziness." His tone was caring and concerned.

Something cold and slippery touched my lips and suddenly, a searing, fizzy feeling filled my mouth. I recoiled at the taste, half-expecting that it was cold water.

"It's some hydrogen soda fluids I found in the cabinet," the boy explained. "It clears up the senses a bit."

Sure enough, the boy's face came into view, much clearer, like a high-definition TV coming to life.

He _had _blond hair, as sleek and shiny as if it was just washed, pulled back into a ponytail. His mouth was dipped into a frown. But what really caught my attention were his eyes.

They were golden, like molten rays of the sun, sharp and sure. They gave him the utmost atmosphere of superiority and pride, outlining a charming look. I couldn't decide if they were contact lenses or just…his natural eyes color. I settled on contact lenses, because I had never seen another human with golden eyes…unless they came from _that place._

Which I refused to believe. Besides, everything implanted in you is artificial, _right? _So those eyes wouldn't be real, if he _was _inserted with DNA and foreign genes.

I sipped the fluid, studying the boy with great curiosity. I honestly had never met anyone more charismatic before. Even Rin, with his kind, cocky attitude, didn't exactly qualify as _appealing. _He'd always emitted a brash aura about, and he was, well, _proud _of it.

I missed Rin.

Pushing the thought away, I focused back on the present. "So, sir, how exactly did you come across me?" I asked as politely as I could. After all, I didn't brandish good manners when in battle. And _anyone _could've picked me up. After, I was the girl that flew on Main Street.

The boy waved his hand away dismissively. "No need for the formalities," he said. "My name is Edward, State Alchemist at the Central Command Center of the Amestrian army."

His eyebrows furrowed as he stared back at me with those piercing optics, making me squirm uncomfortably.

"Uh…so, do you know a young man named Alphonse Elric?" I asked quietly. "I was supposed to—"

Through my left ear, I could hear soft footsteps padding through the hall, and my inner ninja was automatically activated, on high alert.

"There's an intruder!" I hissed. "Quick, give me the sharpest—ow!"

I had slipped on a cushion and fell backwards. I would've hit the ground, back-first, if a pair of strong hands hadn't caught me.

"Careful," Edward warned me.

I blinked. When had that cushion gotten there? "Sorry," I squeaked as he laid me back on the couch.

A moment later, a familiar brunette appeared at the doorway, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Hm? Nii-san, is she awake?"

I looked back and forth between Alphonse and Edward. "Nii-san?" I asked incredulously. "Al's your brother?"

The two looked almost nothing alike—Edward had blond hair and stunningly golden eyes, and Al had brown, auburn hair with big eyes the color of the wings of a duckling.

"A-Al?" I sputtered, perplexed.

He managed a bleary grin at me as if he had been drinking. "Hey, Riles," he said and yawned, stretching with a groan of pleasure. "Where did you learn how to fight like that?"

I looked down. I hadn't expected him to ask me how did I fight hand-to-hand combat. "From an old…friend of mine."

I didn't know what to refer Rin as.

"Oh" was all he said. Then he continued, "He must have been a great friend."

I looked down. Hiding the pain that burdened me for a time so long that it seemed like an eternity wasn't easy to do, but I held it in. I could contain it in a little longer.

"How did he die?" Alphonse started to ask, but Edward gave him a sharp jab in the ribs, warning him about the zone he was trespassing. A message seemed to pass through the two brothers just by facial expression.

The two reminded of two brothers that were trapped at that _place, _as they did _everything _together: slept together, cried together, fought together, and suffered together.

They were practically _inseparable. _

In fact, those bastards that created me, the _"mistake", _notice the fact that they were so close, and decided to make them _together forever. _It made me sick to the stomach, just thinking about what they looked like, three days later when they returned to their cages.

Their faces remained were the same, yet different—contorted with more rage than ever, discolored with hate, and clouded with the pain that they were put through, and it broke my heart to see them like that.

Their bodies were…_entwined. _It was no longer two separate bodies, but one whole body, two legs and two arms. Two heads sprouted from one neck, one crying, and the other ready to kill.

"Brother…I want to die…" one had said, tears pouring down his face. His head hung sadly and the body quaked with sadness.

His older brother didn't respond, instead, staring past the metal bars at the dim fluorescent light that flickered weakly with almost no life…like him and his brother. He had an impassive look masking his face, but a sliver of tear escaped the corner of his eye.

The next morning, when the scientists came to check on us, they found the two-headed bodies…torn apart, their dried blood splattered across the walls. Both faces were smiling.

I was proud and ashamed to have ended their misery.

Yet, I never knew their names.

So as Edward and Alphonse stood before me, one wearing a silly grin, one with a solemn look on, the memory replayed itself painfully behind my retinas.

Suddenly, my head started to hurt, my temples started to pound violently, and my eyes felt like they were going to pop out their sockets.

I clutched my head and staggered around, and at that moment, I seemed to fall beneath the floor, sinking into another dimension.

Screams of pain and agony tore at my eardrums. My heart pulsed wildly against my rib cage, and a sprawling feeling of fear crawled up my spine like ice.

Around me, blood splattered my vision and my mouth was filled with a venomous metallic taste. My hands were clamped over my ears, but the screaming did not cease. My body felt like it was made of cement, as I was plummeting through a film replaying grotesque scenes—a boy's body being carved, filled with unknown substances, a syringe filled with anesthesia being injected into a baby, wires and tubes attached to a girl's head, data running from computers at impossible speeds, tests between living things that were horribly deformed unfolding in deadly ways—death matches.

Then, the open sky, two figures soaring above the clouds—too big to be birds, too small to be airplanes, laughing happily.

The image bent and two figures—the same, a boy, a girl, sitting around a small campfire, eating roasted rats on a stick, wolfing it down like there was no better food on the planet.

I sped past the seconds, the minutes, the hours, the days, the weeks, the months, the years, every single one of them woven out of thin air.

I was reliving all of my memories, one by one in a mere few seconds.

Suddenly, I hit flat floor, and I was back in the living room, lying on my back, breathing hard. The headache didn't go away, it was still going strong, but the hallucination vanished.

"Riley? Riley? You okay?" Edward leaned down and examined me.

"I—I'm fine," I said. My voice was hoarse. "I need to sleep…please…"

I exhaled and my eyelids fluttered shut, as sleep cast its spell, laying a layer of its magic over me.


End file.
